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LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers begin NBA Summer League at the California Classic on Saturday, team roster will have a couple of familiar faces in Bronny James and Dalton Knecht. Both James and Knecht played in summer league last season, and with a year of NBA experience under their belts, this time around is shaping up to be a little different.
For Dalton Knecht in particular, he’s coming into Summer League with the Lakers after a season during which he was nearly traded to the Charlotte Hornets. When the trade was rescinded due to the Lakers’ concerns over Hornets center Mark Williams’ health, Knecht found himself in an awkward situation. But despite being a rookie, he handled it with extreme poise and maturity.
And now, with his second year in the NBA on the horizon, Knecht is looking to expand his game to be able to attack off the dribble when teams inevitably try to take away his three-point shooting.
“Yeah, people are going to close out to me, so just go out and attack the rim, shoot some from the midrange or a floater and get to the rim,” Knecht said during a recent Lakers practice. “Play out of pick and rolls, find my teammates not only to shoot the ball, but also play out of pick and rolls and throw lobs to my centers and find people to get them open.”
Last season, Knecht shot around 37 percent off catch and shoot situations, as per the NBA’s official stat page. Off of pull-up jumpers, he shot around 43 percent. So that part of his game is clearly there, it just comes down to using it more often when teams try and run him off the three-point line.
As a rookie, Knecht appeared in 78, including 16 starts, at a little over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds with splits of 46.1 percent shooting from the field, 37.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 76.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Knecht began the season as a regular in the Lakers rotation, even dropping a career-high 37 points in only his 14th game. But his role fluctuated, especially after the failed Hornets trade, and by the playoffs he was completely out of the rotation.
But he showed he can be a capable NBA player. His name has come up in trade rumors again this summer, specifically regarding the Miami Heat and Andrew Wiggins. However, with the Lakers’ free agent acquisition of Jake LaRavia, it’s not clear if Wiggins still factors in the team’s plans.
The point is, Knecht has value in the NBA, and with another go-round at summer league, he has a prime opportunity to showcase himself and prove why the Lakers need him this upcoming season.
